Build a better salad with a Salad Party!

by DanicasDaily on October 2, 2011

Happy Sunday all! How are you all doing?? I completely & totally unplugged this weekend turning everything off. I cannot remember the last time I went an entire weekend without turning the computer on or checking email. It is kind of crazy how much we got done even if I am completely and totally behind with you all now. I will be playing catch-up all week, but, it was totally worth it.

I DID miss you all, but, I can say, I am back in action and have so many FANTASTIC things to share….like this delicious Salad Party we hosted today!

The folks at Wish Bone asked over the summer if I would like to host a Salad Savvy Party and create some tasty new recipes using their new dressings. I am a pretty big fan of Wish Bone Dressings because they are truly versatile. I LOVE using them for quick marinades, pasta salads and of course on my BIG SALADS since they are only 1 points+ each.

We thought it would be fun to have our nephews over to our salad party and let them Build a Better Salad! This was definitely a stretch since our 7 year old nephew pretty much only likes ranch with sunflower seeds and lettuce. I definitely think it helped get them both excited about “cooking” in the kitchen because we let them pick out all the ingredients they thought would be fun in salad.

The goal of each of our salads was to make sure they were delicious no matter what new Wish Bone Salad Dressing you used.

A special Thanks to Wish Bone for providing us with everything we needed to host our Salad Party including the dressings, plates and gift cards to buy the ingredients.

The first salad up was our “GROUP” salad. The first thing that came to the boys mind when we told them it didn’t have to be ALL vegetables was pasta salad.

I absolutely LOVE this pasta salad ~ it might be my favorite in the group. The Bruschetta dressing is slightly sweet and slightly tangy, so we decided to include all of those delicious flavors in our pasta salad. I think the thing that makes this pasta salad fun is all the little “treats” you come across as you eat it….from the mozzarella balls to the sun dried tomatoes and garlic stuffed green olives.

1. Cook the pasta according to the packaged directions. Rinse in cold water and place in a large bowl.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine.

3. Chill for 1 hour and enjoy!

Makes 8 servings, 1 1/2 cups, 5 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

Salad # 2 included all of my FAVORITE things in a salad. Your first bite is the crisp greens and sweet beets, followed up with the smoky bacon, sweet & nutty pecans and salty feta cheese. This salad is actually perfect “naked” without dressing, but, adding in the Mediterranean or SuperFruit Berry Vinaigrettes really make this one FANTASTIC salad.

1. In a large bowl, build your salad starting with the mixed greens and finishing with the turkey bacon.

2. Toss with dressing just before serving.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/4 cups, 3 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

Salad #3 was developed entirely by our middle nephew who is 11 years old (can you tell even by the title?!) He put everything into the bowl that he LOVES but made sure to balance out the rich mozzarella & garlic stuffed green olives with sweet and tangy pomegranate seeds & salty sunflower seeds.

1. In a large bowl, build your salad starting with the mixed greens and finishing with the pomegranate seeds.

2. Toss with dressing just before serving.

Makes 4 servings, 1 1/4 cups, 3 points+ each

Nutritional information per serving

Who says that you can’t have salad as dessert? The Husband had the “grand finale” salad and he really did take this Waldorf inspired fruit salad over the top. The soft butter leaf lettuce was the perfect addiction to all the crunchy, sweet fruit and rich nuts. The SuperFruit Berry Vinaigrette actually brings together all of the flavors in the salad with a little tang and a little sweetness.

YEAH, menu, my favorite! Glad you had a good week-end off, but I kept checking for a post Of course I printed off the salad recipes…are all the dressings shown 1P for 2 Tbsp.? Publix had the Fresh Express Salad Kits B1G1, and I’m stocked…they’re really good in a pinch…the pear Gorgonzola is our favorite so far!

Hi Danica,
The recipes all look wonderful but I have a question for you about the chicken enchiladas. Do you recall the the proportions of the ingredients like the chicken and cheese. I have some leftover turkey I need to use up and I am curious about the amounts. Thanks so much for your help.. I hope your new job continues to go well for you.
Liz

Thanks! You can probably use whatever turkey & cheese you have on hand. I used 1.25 lbs of chicken breast, uncooked and 8 oz of shredded lowfat cheddar. Here is a link to the recipe you can print and see the details if that helps.

About Danica

Whether she’s enjoying a dish at a local restaurant or whipping up a crowd-pleasing, nutritious meal at home, Danica has a passion for all things food. She believes in and follows the Weight Watchers principle of “all things in moderation” and chronicles her culinary adventures here. Besides sharing her daily eats and tasty, nutritious recipes, Danica connects others seeking a healthier lifestyle on her other site Friends For Weight Loss.

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Danicasdaily.com is not meant to be a substitute for any professional advice, guidance, or counseling. Any information contained on this site reflect Danica's experience and is not intended to take the place of medical advice from a physician.
Weight Watchers® and PointsPlus® are registered trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc. The number of Points+ provided for food on this site was calculated by Danica based on published Weight Watchers information.
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